Device for automatically and periodically spraying a pressurized liquid

ABSTRACT

An improved device for automatically and periodically spraying a pressurized liquid comprises a spray nozzle connected to a liquid source through valve means, a heat-responsive bimetal disc for periodically actuating spraying mechanism and means for defining a chamber for containing the bimetal disc, which defining means for bimetal disc chamber is provided with a path for conducing water condensed on the outside surface of the defining means to a front portion of the spray nozzle, whereby the condensed water is blown off together with the pressurized liquid sprayed through the nozzle.

United States Patent Iketani 51 Oct. 17, 1972 [54] DEVICE FOR AUTOMATICALLY AND 3,419,189 12/1968 Iketani ..222/70 X PERIODICALLY SPRAYING A P I E LIQUID Primary Examiner-M. Henson Wood, Jr. Assistant ExaminerReinho1d W. Thieme [72] Inventor: Talsho lketanl, 4-14-6 Nogata, Atmmey Anan Ramer et Nakano-ku, Tokyo, Japan 22 Filed: June 11, 1971 1 ABSTRACT [21 1 APPL NOJ 152,236 An improved device for automatically and periodicallyspraying a pressurized liquid comprises a spray nozzle connected to a liquid source through valve means, a [52] U.S. Cl ..239/75, 239/121 heat-responsive bimetal disc for periodically actuating [51] Int. Cl. ..B05b 1/28 spraying mechanism and means for defining a [58] Fi ld f S h 222/54, 70; 239/75, 120, 121 chamber for containing the bimetal disc, which defining means for bimetal disc chamber is provided with a 5 References Cited path for conducing water condensed on the outside surface of the defining means to a front portion of the UNITED STATES PATENTS spray nozzle, whereby the condensed water is blown 1,843,579 2/1932 Nelson ..239/121 3 the pressunzed Sprayed 1,870,822 8/1932 Nelson ..239/121 3,211,377 10/1965 Brenner ..239/121 4 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTEUnm 17 Ian 3 6 98 6 38 sum 1 or 2 PATENTEDBCI 1"! 1912 SHEEI 2 0f 2 DEVICE FOR AUTOMATICALLY AND PERIODICALLY SPRAYING A PRESSURIZED LIQUID The present invention relates to a device for automatically and periodically spraying a pressurized liquid, more particularly, relates to an improved device for automatically and periodically spraying a pressurized liquid together with water condensed on the outside surface thereof.

When it is required to spray a disinfectant, insecticide, deordorizer or perfume into a closed chamber such as a warehouse, bath room and toilet room, generally, the above-mentioned agents are dissolved in a solvent together with a high pressure liquefied gas and the solution is automatically and periodically sprayed into the chamber. For instance, when the insecticide is utilized for exterminating noxious insects in the warehouse, it is necessary to periodically spray a solution containing the insecticide in the warehouse at preselected time intervals for a long time. Generally, insecticides have an injurious effect on human health. Therefore, it is desirable that spraying of insecticides is carried out automatically in the absence of the operator. In order to accomplish the above purpose, various automatic spraying methods wherein the spraying is controlled electrically or electromagnetically, are provided. However, these proposed methods are not actually utilized owing to economical disadvantages due to high cost thereof.

In the above circumstance, an automatically and periodically spraying device which utilizes a heatresponsive bimetal disc was provided for eliminating the disadvantages of the prior device as mentioned above. Utilizing the device, the solution containing an agent together with a high pressure liquefied gas is ejected from a container into atmosphere by the high pressure of the liquefied gas.

When the solution is sprayed, a portion of the solution, in which the liquefied gas is gasified while causing lowering of ambient temperature, contacts a bimetal disc which is heat-responsive and capable of reversing its bending direction depending on temperature thereof, so as to cool the bimetal disc. The bimetal disc reverses its bending direction through cooling, whereby the spraying of the solution is stopped. Next, the bimetal disc absorbs heat from ambient atmosphere. When the bimetal disc is heated to a prescribed temperature, the bending direction is reversed so as to actuate the spraying of the solution.

However, the above-mentioned automatic and periodic spraying device has the defect that atmospheric moisture undesirably condenses on the casing containing the bimetal disc, which condensation is derived from cooling of the casing caused by gasification of the liquefied gas in the solution which gasification is effected in order to cool the bimetal disc, and the condensed water becomes dripping wet on the outside surface of the device and affects the lowering and raising velocities of the bimetal disc temperature so as to fluctuate the time intervals between sprayings.

From the above-mentioned defect, it is very difficult, in the conventional automatic and periodic spraying device utilizing the bimetal disc to spray the solution with a predetermined constant quantity thereof at preselected fixed time intervals.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved device for automatically and periodically spraying a pressurized liquid at preselected time intervals.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved device for automatically and periodically spraying a pressurized liquid, which device is capable of blowing off the condensed water on the outside surface of the device into atmosphere, whereby the spraying is carried out at preselected time intervals.

This and other objects and features of the present invention will be made more apparent by the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the spraying device of the present invention being in an actuating condition,

FIGS. 2 to 4 show a front view of an embodiment of the condensed water-conducing means according to the present invention, respectively.

Referring to FIG. 1, a bimetal disc 1 is contained in a bimetal disc chamber 2 formed in a bimetal disc-defining means 6. The bimetal disc chamber-defining means 6 is composed of a cup member 3 and a lid member 4 and the bimetal disc chamber 2 contains porous and permeable substances 5 by which the bimetal disc 1 is sandwiched. The cup member v3 is composed of an upper member 6a and bottom member 6b. A valve chamber 7 is formed in a body member 8 and connected to a spray nozzle 10 through a main passageway 9. The main path 9 is also connected to the bimetal disc chamber 2 through a branched passageway 11. A valve member 12 is disposed in the valve chamber 7 so as to open and close the communications between the main passageway 9 andthe valve chamber 7 and the valve chamber 7 and a passageway 19 through which the valve 7 isconnected to a solution source which is not shown in the drawing. An actuating rod 13 located in the branched passageway 11 forms a narrow intervening space between the inside wall surface of the branched passageway 1 1 and the outside surface of the actuating rod 13, and connected to the valve member 12 through a connection rod 14.

A top end of the actuating rod 13 is operatively connected to the lower face of the bimetal disc 1.

That is, when the temperature of the bimetal disc 1 rises to a preselected higher point, the bimetal disc 1 bends downwardly as shown in FIG. 1, and therefore, the lower face of the bimetal disc 1 downwardly pushes the top end of the actuating rod 13. The valve member 12 connected to the actuating rod 13, accordingly, goes down so that the upper end 15 of the valve member 12 spaces from the lower face of a valve seat 16 which is extended from the body member 8 into the valve chamber 7. Namely, the downward bending of the bimetal disc 1 results in opening the communication between the main'passageway 9 and the valve chamber 7. Then, the pressurized solution in the solution source flows into the main passageway 9 through the valve chamber 7. The major portion of the pressurized solution flown in the main passageway 9 is sprayed into atmosphere through the spray nozzle 10, and a minor portion thereof is fed into the bimetal disc chamber 2 through the narrow branched passageway 11. The liquefied gas in the pressurized solution fed into the bimetal disc chamber 2 gasifies in the bimetal disc chamber 2 while absorbing the necessary latent heat for gasification from ambient atmosphere, whereby the bimetal disc 1 is cooled. When the temperature of the cooled bimetal disc 1 lowers to a preselected lower point, the bimetal disc 1 upwardly bends so as to release the operative connection between the bimetal disc 1 and the actuating rod 13. By this release, the valve member 12 in the valve chamber 7 is upwardly pushed so that the upper end 15 contacts the valve seat 16. That is, the upward bending of the bimetal disc 1 results in closing of the communication between the valve chamber 7 and the main passageway 9. Accordingly, the spray of the solution is stopped.

The quantity of the pressurized solution sprayed through the spray nozzle 10 during one spraying depends on a time period from the time when the bimetal disc 1 is downwardly bent, to the time when the bimetal disc 1 is upwardly bent. Therefore, the spray quantity of the pressurized solution during once spraying can be adjusted by preselecting the bending temperature difference of the bimetal disc 1 between the downward bending point and the upward bending point thereof.

In the case where a volatile liquid such as a methyl alcohol, ethyl alcohol, acetone and ether is mixed in the pressurized solution, the solution fed into the bimetal disc chamber 2 through the branched passageway 11 is absorbed by the porous and permeable substance 5 such as sponge and synthetic resin spongy material, and then the volatile liquid in the solution is vaporized gradually while the liquefied gas is rapidly gasified. In this vaporization, the volatile liquid absorbs the latent heat for vaporization from ambient atmosphere in the bimetal disc chamber 2 so as to result in lowering of the temperature of the bimetal disc 1.

The bimetal disc 1 which was rapidly cooled with the rapid advance of gasification of the liquefied gas in the solution, therefore, is further gradually cooled with the advance of vaporization of the volatile liquid in the solution. The further cooling of the bimetal disc 1 causes an extension of the time period while the temperature of the bimetal disc 1 is raised from the preselected lower point or lowered to the preselected higher point.

As shown in FIG. 1, it is preferable that a supplementary vent 18 is formed in the bimetal disc chamberdefining means, in order to fluidly connect the bimetal disc chamber to atmosphere even when the vent 17 is completely closed. The supplementary vent 18 is effective for maintaining the bimetal disc chamber under normal pressure.

As stated above, the bimetal disc chamber-defining means is cooled together with the bimetal disc by the cooling effect derived from the gasification of the liquefied gas in the pressurized solution within the bimetal disc chamber. Owing to the cooling of the bimetal disc chamber-defining means, the moisture in atmosphere is condensed into a plurality of drops of water so as to cover the outside surface of the bimetal disc chamber-defining means.

The condensed water layer formed thus on the outside surface obstructs heat-absorbing of the bimetal disc from ambient atmosphere through the bimetal disc chamber defining means, and accordingly, causes insufficient actuation of the device. Also the condensed water flows down along the outside surface of the device and undesirably wets the place where the device is put on.

In order eliminate the above-stated disadvantages, means for defining a path for conducing the condensed water to a front portion of the spray nozzle, is formed on the outside surface of the bimetal disc chamberdefining means. The conduced water is received at the front portion of the nozzle and blown off into atmosphere together with the solution sprayed through the nozzle.

As shown in FIG. 2, the condensed water-conducing path may be formed by collar 91 formed on the outside surface of the cup member 3 and surrounding the cup member 3. The condensed water flows down on the outside surface of the cup member 2 and is conduced to the front portion 92 along the upper face 94 of the collar 91.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 3, the spray nozzle 10 is located in a neck portion 93 formed in the bottom portion of the cup member 3. Accordingly, the condensed water on the outside surface of the cup member 3 flows down toward the neck portion 93. The neck portion 93 is provided with a collar 91 which forms a path for conducing the flown down water to the front portion 92 of the nozzle 10 on the upper surface 94 of the collar 91. The front portion 92 may be defined by a cut-off for receiving the condensed water as shown in FIGS. 2 and Referring to FIG. 4, the path for conducing the condensed water to the front portion 92 of the spray nozzle 10 is defined by an annular groove 94 formed as shown in FIG. 4 on the cup member 3. The condensed water on the outside surface of the cup member 3 flows down toward the annular groove 95 and then, flows toward the cut-off 92 formed in front of the spray nozzle 10 along the bottom face 96 of the groove 95.

What we claim is:

1. An improved device for automatically and periodically spraying a pressurized liquid comprising:

means for defining a valve chamber connectable to a pressurized liquid source;

means for defining a bimetal disc chamber disposed downstream from said valve chamber;

a nozzle disposed downstream from said valve chamber for spraying said pressurized liquid into atmosphere;

means for defining a main passageway providing communication between said valve chamber and said spray nozzle and a branched passageway providing communication between said main passageway and said bimetal disc chamber;

valve means disposed within said valve chamber for opening and closing said communication between said pressurized liquid source and said main passageway;

and a heat-responsive bimetal disc mounted within said bimetal disc chamber for actuating said valve means in a first position wherein said bimetal disc is heated to a temperature not lower than a preselected high temperature to effect opening of said communication between said pressurized liquid source and said main passageway, and in a second position wherein said bimetal disc is cooled to a temperature not exceeding a preselected low formed on said outside surface of said bimetal disc chamber-defining means.

3. A device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said condensed water-conducting path is defined by an annular groove formed on said outside surface of said bimetal disc chamber-defining means.

4. A device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said front portion of said nozzle is formed in a cut-off for receiving said condensed water.

PO-1O5O UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 5 69 CETIFTCATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3 ,698 ,638 Dated October 17 1972 Inventor(s) Taisho Iketani It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

In the address of the inventor change "H-lH-G" to U-Ml-E 0 Signed and sealed this 15th day of May 1973.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER,JR. RQBERT GOTTSCHALK Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

1. An improved device for automatically and periodically spraying a pressurized liquid comprising: means for defining a valve chamber connectable to a pressurized liquid source; means for defining a bimetal disc chamber disposed downstream from said valve chamber; a nozzle disposed downstream from said valve chamber for spraying said pressurized liquid into atmosphere; means for defining a main passageway providing communication between said valve chamber and said spray nozzle and a branched passageway providing communication between said main passageway and said bimetal disc chamber; valve means disposed within said valve chamber for opening and closing said communication between said pressurized liquid source and said main passageway; and a heat-responsive bimetal disc mounted within said bimetal disc chamber for actuating said valve means in a first position wherein said bimetal disc is heated to a temperature not lower than a preselected high temperature to effect opening of said communication between said pressurized liquid source and said main passageway, and in a second position wherein said bimetal disc is cooled to a temperature not exceeding a preselected low temperature to effect closing said communication, said bimetal disc chamber-defining means is provided with a path for conducting water condensed on the outside surface of said bimetal disc chamber-defining means to a front portion of said nozzle thereon, whereby said condensed water is blown off together with said pressurized liquid sprayed through said nozzle.
 2. A device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said condensed water-conducting path is defined by a collar formed on said outside surface of said bimetal disc chamber-defining means.
 3. A device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said condensed water-conducting path is defined by an annular groove formed on said outside surface of said bimetal disc chamber-defining means.
 4. A device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said front portion of said nozzle is formed in a cut-off for receiving said condensed water. 